Although customs returns show that there was in fact no decline in actual levels of trade as yet, immediate prospects for the Dutch entrepôt looked precarious in the extreme. France, its army at a ...
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Although customs returns show that there was in fact no decline in actual levels of trade as yet, immediate prospects for the Dutch entrepôt looked precarious in the extreme. France, its army at a peak of readiness, was drifting towards war with the Dutch Republic and there was every likelihood that England or Sweden, or both, would join in the French attack. By early 1672, the Amsterdam Exchange was acutely jittery. Share prices began to slide. The English resumed their harassment of Dutch ships on the high seas. Finally, on the sixth of April 1672, Louis XIV declared war, mobilizing both his army and his navy and prohibiting all trade between France and the Republic. England followed suit the next day. A new phase, Phase Five in the history of the Dutch world entrepôt, had begun.Less

Beyond the Zenith, 1672–1700

Jonathan I. Israel

Published in print: 1990-07-26

Although customs returns show that there was in fact no decline in actual levels of trade as yet, immediate prospects for the Dutch entrepôt looked precarious in the extreme. France, its army at a peak of readiness, was drifting towards war with the Dutch Republic and there was every likelihood that England or Sweden, or both, would join in the French attack. By early 1672, the Amsterdam Exchange was acutely jittery. Share prices began to slide. The English resumed their harassment of Dutch ships on the high seas. Finally, on the sixth of April 1672, Louis XIV declared war, mobilizing both his army and his navy and prohibiting all trade between France and the Republic. England followed suit the next day. A new phase, Phase Five in the history of the Dutch world entrepôt, had begun.